Breed prohibited since 2005

Rambo, a pit bull puppy, has won a stay of execution while his Mississauga owner challenges Ontario’s ban on the breed.

A pit bull puppy in Mississauga has won a five-week stay of execution while its owner contests the charges in one of the first challenges to Ontario’s ban on the breed.

The 10-month-old dog, named Rambo, was caught by animal control officers on Christmas Day after it ran away from the backyard of its owner, Gabriela Nowakowska.

The puppy was born after a province-wide ban on new pit bulls took effect Aug. 29, 2005. By law, the city must put down the dog.

Nowakowska, 20, was charged last week with ownership of a prohibited animal.

She has been raising money for a lawyer and is scheduled to appear in provincial court Feb. 29, where, to save her dog, she will have to prove it isn’t a pit bull.

"This is the first time someone decides to stand up and fight for their dog," said Dulio Rose, manager of animal services. "Normally, they just abandon them. We’ve had owners actually drop the leash and run."